La Famille Armstrong

I thought I'd take a minute to post the cute things both kids are doing these days... feels like I haven't had a spare minute to even think about this stuff!!

Asher - well, he is definitely getting more verbal! We're learning to be very careful about what we say and do. The other day I dropped a spatula covered in spaghetti sauce that went all over the kitchen. I said "Ugh!!!" in very loudly and grunt-like (so womanly, I know) and about 30 seconds later Mark and I hear Asher in garage yelling and pounding on something... couldn't very well discipline him for something he learned from me! Anyway, so I've been challenged to change my behavior quite a bit.

This morning was super cute - after baths,  I was checking an email on my phone before I went to put clothes in the hamper and diapers in the garbage. I looked up and the diapers were gone, I hear the garbage can close (it's a metal gonging sound) and see Asher running down the hall saying "away, away." I am so glad my son already can see what needs to be done and does it!! We'll be working on making that skill last :) Asher has also been freely giving kisses more and more saying "tis" as he grabs our necks. Every time he hurts himself he looks at me and says "kay?" like "okay?" I guess I ask him if he is okay a lot!

Cole sure is growing. Just today, he was on his tummy for a while and able to hold his head perfectly upright with very little effort. He was just happy as could be looking at everything, then Asher came over and said "cry?" So funny that Asher can see things and know what usually happens in those situations :) Cole can reach and grab stuff and I think he'll be doing that more than Ash ever did... yesterday I had my head close to him for about 2 seconds and he caught a handful of hair! He really enjoys watching Asher run around. Last night we caught it on tape!! Cole was smiling and chuckling just watching Asher run, jump, spin and make sounds. I can already tell that they are going to be good pals. Cole is getting on a better schedule too, which is incredibly helpful for me. He gets up pretty early but the past 2 days he's had naptime more in line with Asher's so I've actually gotten to pray, read my bible and knit without anything going on in the background!

I'll be busy the next month or so getting ready for the women's retreat. But I am so looking forward to not cooking or planning meals for 3 whole days!!! I'll have a few responsibilities at the retreat but it should be a really fun time - and hopefully I won't catch or spread the NoroVirus this year! Oh, and here's a cute photo of Asher that we took a couple weeks ago... enjoy!

Well, Cole was 4 months in December but he had his 4 months appt today :) It went well. He was really cute and laughing and chuckling... until the Dr touched him! He stopped crying shortly after the shots tho and he's a healthy guy! He weighs 15lbs 10oz, his height is 25.5 inches and his head is just under 17 inches! Pretty much at the 75th percentile for everything.

His Dr is pretty into the whole flu and H1N1 vaccine, which we're not so into. I'm not completely against it, but we're homebound most of the week and my kids are just really healthy. Asher's only had the Norovirus and a few colds since he was born and so far, Cole has only had a cough that lasted 1 week... so, I'm not too concerned, it's just annoying to have to deal with a Dr that pressures you at every appt!

Well, Cole is waking up... better give that kid a bottle before the world errupts!

So, I got an invite on facebook from the woman who is the teacher at a local BSF class in Lake Oswego... she had let me know a while back that BSF will now be offering childcare for children under 2 years old which is a brand new policy!!! I'm so excited b/c I had originally quit going since I could not find weekly childcare for Asher when he was little... plus, our whole car situation has not allowed me to go either.

Anyway, BSF International is an amazing organization that truly teaches God's word in a straightforward and effective manner. I learned so much while attending the years I went. They offer introduction classes the 1st week of each month and the infant childcare program begins January 26th. I would really like to go but I have no car!!! I'm posting this for 2 reasons: 1- in the hopes that I can get someone to come with me and give me a ride while also attending and 2- that more of you look into BSF and begin participating in this amazing ministry. While some may go and think it seems "strict" I've discovered that all their rules are in place to allow God to work without hindering one another by our perceptions and ideas.

It's an intense study, 6 days of homework each week, but seriously, I learned more at that study each week than one month or more of sermons (no offense Steve, it's just a participatory study and not only a sermon). MaryAnne Noack teaches the Tuesday morning class in Lake Oswego at the Lutheran church and she is amazing too!! I love hearing her teach and her honesty always inspires me to truly seek after God. The class starts at 9:15am and ends about 11:30. Please, if you have any interest, contact me and at least come to the introduction class and one real class after that!

The class is pretty straightforward and very structured... meet and sing 2 hymns, hear a small intro, break into small groups to discuss lesson from previous week, meet as a whole group again, sing 1 hymn, lecture, get new lesson, repeat! Let me know if you're interested in attending! The first time you go you'll need to find childcare but every week after that you just drop them off and they'll get to learn a lesson and a bible verse that goes along with our study. Like I said, please let me know if you're interested, I know you'll be blessed by it!!!

Sunday's sermon was really excellent. That, along with one of the worship songs, got us really thinking about how much we believe what Jesus says. The song is called "In Christ Alone" and sounds very hymn-like even though it's relatively new... the last verse says this:


No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.



Both of us really feel like we "trust" God for most things but to really be so confident in what His plans are for us... we definitely feel like there is a lot of ground to be made up!! In the sermon, Steve was talking about when King Herod killed all the male children, age 2 and under, and how Matthew says it was a fulfillment of prophesy. I'm sure most mothers did not see it as God's plan being accomplished at the time, as I'm sure many families were devastated by Herod's jealousy. It was a terrible tragedy, and I would like to say that tragedies on that scale do not occur today because they do, just not publicly. But it really got Mark and I to start considering the way we look at circumstances in our lives. Instead of looking for fixes, do we look to God for guidance and assurance? Or do we look for human solutions and personal happiness? I know I'm usually the latter. 


I also started thinking about why I don't give God as much credit as He deserves and was just trying to think about Him and who He is. Steve was talking about Jesus being the new ruler, so I started to think about what it looks like for us to serve a King. I can imagine, that if I knew Queen Elizabeth and she offered to take care of all my needs for all of time if I just made myself about her goals and did whatever she asked that it would be a pretty nice gig, yeah? Well, maybe not awesome, seeing that she is human and may have selfish goals and not completely desire the best for me... but God is far beyond that. He not only has power over earthly circumstances in one small country, but He has power above all creation over all time!!! Seriously, we really have such a limited idea of how much that is... well, maybe we don't and that is why we don't trust Him. We think "Yeah, He can do anything, but really, is He going to do much for me?" I know that I too, seriously misunderstand the completeness of God's goodness and love towards us. 


Take this verse: "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?" Matthew 7:11 If I, being selfish and caring mostly for myself, know how to being loving and caring and want good for my kids, how much more does God, who is completely perfect, brilliant and good, want to show us goodness when we ask!!! In America, many people have loftly dreams but we tell people to always keep their feet on the ground, attempt something more attainable... but God can do the impossible, and if we aim for God's will we should attempt the impossible so that it is only possible with God. 


All of this to say, I truly desire to be about God's business and should not question the circumstances of my life as long as I am pursuing God, for He knows better than I do and He loves me more than I could ever comprehend. I really want to believe that and there's no way without Him that I can!